A Brighton shopkeeper has been landed with a bill for thousands of pounds for leaving out of date food on sale.
Trading standards officers found the out of date items, including one that was more than six weeks past its use by date, when they visited Easy News, in Trafalgar Street, Brighton.
The owner, Golden Wish, was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £825 costs, a £180 criminal courts charge and £120 victim surcharge.
Golden Wish director Fedaa Assaf, 43, of Westbourne Villas, Hove, was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay a £180 criminal courts charge and £120 victim surcharge.
In total Assaf must pay £5,725 both individually and on behalf of his business.
Brighton and Hove City Council trading standards officers found the out of date food, including yoghurts, burgers, brie and salami, during a routine visit.
Len Batten, prosecuting on behalf of the council, told Eastbourne magistrates that trading standards officers visited Easy News on Wednesday 5 August. They found a variety of food on sale after the use by date, he said.
The items included Lunchables ham and cheese crackers, houmous dip, Rustlers chicken burgers, brie, peach yoghurt, natural yoghurt and German salami.
The council said: “Most of the products were between one and six weeks past their use by date.”
Councillor Gill Mitchell, who chairs the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said: “Selling food after the use by date can have very serious consequences for both the retailer and the consumer.
“I hope this case will remind traders of the importance of regularly checking their stock and also reassure residents that our trading standards officers will continue their work to protect the consumer by inspecting premises and prosecuting offenders.”
